Archiving

One of the goals of the Frankie Manning Foundation is to educate people about the life and work of Frankie Manning. For those who know a little about Frankie and want to know more, we heartily recommend Frankie’s autobiography, Frankie Manning, Ambassador of Lindy Hop, written with Cynthia Millman. Historic films and Frankie’s own instructional DVD series show his work across his life span as a performer, choreographer and teacher.

For the scholar or researcher who wishes to explore another excellent resource, we also recommend the extensive oral history interview with Frankie that is housed at the Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution. Conducted by Bob Crease in 1992, a written transcript is available for review.

The Frankie Manning Foundation hopes to fulfill Frankie’s wish of having his memorabilia housed in a library where it is easily accessible. Progress is being made in that direction and we hope to make a public announcement within the year.

A future goal of the Foundation is to facilitate the archiving of all the video material there is in connection with Frankie Manning. Anyone with a special interest in this area should contact the Foundation.

Finally, the story of Frankie Manning’s life and his great personal gifts is best told by those who knew him and were strongly influenced by him. These are the people who will be passing on Frankie’s legacy to those who never met him.